Table of ContentsTitle PageDedicationPROLOGUEDEATH AND CHOCOLATEBESIDE THE RAILWAY LINETHE ECLIPSETHE FLAGPART ONE - the grave digger’s handbookARRIVAL ON HIMMEL STREETGROWING UP A SAUMENSCHTHE WOMAN WITH THE IRON FISTTHE KISS - (A Childhood Decision Maker)THE JESSE OWENS INCIDENTTHE OTHER SIDE OF SANDPAPERTHE SMELL OF FRIENDSHIPTHE HEAVY WEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE SCHOOL-YARDPART TWO - the shoulder shrugA GIRL MADE OF DARKNESSTHE JOY OF CIGARETTESTHE TOWN WALKERDEAD LETTERSHITLER’S BIRTHDAY, 1940100 PERCENT PURE GERMAN SWEATTHE GATES OF THIEVERYBOOK OF FIREPART THREE - meinkampfTHE WAY HOMETHE MAYOR’S LIBRARYENTER THE STRUGGLERTHE ATTRIBUTES OF SUMMERTHE ARYAN SHOPKEEPERTHE STRUGGLER, CONTINUEDTRICKSTERSTHE STRUGGLER, CONCLUDED

PART FOUR - the standover manTHE ACCORDIONIST - (The Secret Life of Hans Hubermann)A GOOD GIRLA SHORT HISTORY OF THE JEWISH FIST FIGHTERTHE WRATH OF ROSALIESEL’S LECTURETHE SLEEPERTHE SWAPPING OF NIGHTMARESPAGES FROM THE BASEMENTPART FIVE - the whistlerTHE FLOATING BOOK (Part I)THE GAMBLERS - (A SEVEN-SIDED DIE)RUDY’S YOUTHTHE LOSERSSKETCHESTHE WHISTLER AND THE SHOESTHREE ACTS OF STUPIDITY - BY RUDY STEINERTHE FLOATING BOOK (Part II)PART SIX - the dream carrierDEATH’S DIARY: 1942THE SNOWMANTHIRTEEN PRESENTSFRESH AIR, AN OLD NIGHTMARE, AND WHAT TO DO WITH A JEWISH CORPSEDEATH’S DIARY: COLOGNETHE VISITORTHE SCHMUNZELERDEATH’S DIARY: THE PARISIANSPART SEVEN - the complete duden dictionary and thesaurusCHAMPAGNE AND ACCORDIONSTHE TRILOGYTHE SOUND OF SIRENSTHE SKY STEALERFRAU HOLTZAPFEL’S OFFERTHE LONG WALK TO DACHAUPEACETHE IDIOT AND THE COAT MENPART EIGHT - the wordshaker

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DOMINOES AND DARKNESSTHE THOUGHT OF RUDY NAKEDPUNISHMENTTHE PROMISE KEEPER’S WIFETHE COLLECTORTHE BREAD EATERSTHE HIDDEN SKETCHBOOKTHE ANARCHIST’S SUIT COLLECTIONPART NINE - the last human strangerTHE NEXT TEMPTATIONTHE CARDPLAYERTHE SNOWS OF STALINGRADTHE AGELESS BROTHERTHE ACCIDENTTHE BITTER TASTE OF QUESTIONSONE TOOLBOX, ONE BLEEDER, ONE BEARHOMECOMINGPART TEN - the book thiefTHE END OF THE WORLD (Part I)THE NINETY-EIGHTH DAYTHE WAR MAKERWAY OF THE WORDSCONFESSIONSILSA HERMANN’S LITTLE BLACK BOOKTHE RIB-CAGE PLANESTHE END OF THE WORLD (Part II)AcknowledgementsEPILOGUE - the last colorDEATH AND LIESELWOOD IN THE AFTERNOONMAXTHE HANDOVER MANCopyright Page

For Elisabeth and Helmut Zusak,with love and admiration

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PROLOGUEa mountain range of rubblein which our narrator introduces:himself—the colors—and the book thief

DEATH AND CHOCOLATEFirst the colors.Then the humans.That’s usually how I see things.Or at least, how I try.HERE IS A SMALL FACTYou are going to die.I am in all truthfulness attempting to be cheerful about this whole topic, though most people find themselves hindered in believing me, no matter my protestations. Please, trust me. I most definitely can be cheerful. I can be amiable. Agreeable. Affable. And that’s only the A’s. Just don’t ask me to be nice. Nice has nothing to do with me.

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